Heater



April 19 28.

J. HICKS Filed Nov. 26, 1926 0% fl t/ ks INVENTOR ATTO R N EY WI ESS:

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN HICKS, OF SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

HEATER.

Application filed November 26, 1926. Serial No. 150 954.

This invention relates to improvements in heaters and particularly to gas heaters and is an improvementover my U. S. Letters- Patent #1,4:14,360, granted May 2nd, 1922.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combustion chamber above the gas burner of a Water heater, which is constructed of ceramic material and about which the water coils of the heater extend, the flame from the burner being trapped in the combustion chamber for heating the walls of the same, and which heat acts upon the coils for heating the water therein.

Another object of the invention is to prov vide a combustion chamber in gas water heaters which is constructed of ceramic material to absorb the flame from the gas burner and which becomes incandescent to produce achemical unit of the hydrocarbons and the oxygen to assure a complete combustion of the gas under high temperature, and which chamber is so positioned with respect to the water coils as to transfer heat thereto.

A further object of the invention resides in a combustion chamber constructed of a plurality of sections or radiants arranged one upon the other, each radiant being staggered with respect to the next adjacent radiant or radiants, and which radiants co-act to form an efficient baflie above the burner thereby obtaining maximum combustion of the gas.

A still further object is to provide a combustion chamber composed of a plurality of sections or radiants constructed of ceramic material, each of which is split to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the same, due to the intense heat when the gas burner is lighted, and the cooling off of the radiants after the gas has been extinguished.

A still further object is to provide a combustion chamber for gas water heaters which is simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, easy to assemble for use in connection with a gas burner, and highly efficient for the purpose intended.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a gas water heater with the door in an open position with my improved combustion chamber positioned therein. I

F1gure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the baffle sections.

It will be appreciated that the present type of gas water heaters used in homes, throws off a repugnant and unhealthy odor due to the incomplete combustion of the gases, and it is therefore my object to eliminate this obnoxious odor by assuring a complete combustion of the gas by providing a combustion chamber for the mixture of gas and oxygen and which. chamber is constructed of a ceramic material for absorbing the heat from the flame and transferring the same to the pipe coil through which the water to be heated passes. Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates a gas water heater which includes a casing 11 of annular formation, and provided with a swing door 12. The casing has a top 13 into which a suitable chimney 14 enters, and a base 15 which supports a gas and air mixing chamber 16. This chamber receives gas through the pipe 17 and air in any suitable manner and quantity. After mixing the gas and air, they pass to my preferred form of burner 18, provided witha series of jets 19 where they areburned. A water coil 20 is enclosed within the casing 11 and extends for approximately the fulllength thereof and through which coil the water to be heated is adapted to flow.

My improved baffling unit or combustion chamber is shown in its entirety as at 21 and includes a plurality of sections 22 each having a series of radially extending bafliing elements 23, which extend from an outer ring portion 24 toward the axial center thereof. Although I have shown the baffling elements as being annular in construction, I desire it to be understood that the same may be of other shapes if desired without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention. Each of the bathing sections is constructed of a ceramic material and the outer ring 24 is split as at 25 for the purpose of permitting the sections to contract and expand without breaking or causing injury, or warping thereof.

The lowermost of the sections or radiants 21 may be provided or may be caused to rest upon legs 26 which rest upon the gas burner 18 and which disposes the sections 21 above the jets 19. It is desired to position the baffle sections or radiants in relation to the flame issuing from the jets, so that the flames are trapped and broken up and the gases thereform disintegrated and for this purpose, I assemble a series or plurality of sections 22, arranged one above the other with the battling elements 23 of one section in staggered relation with the elements 23 of the next adjacent sections. The width of the battle elements is substantially the same as the distance between the free ends of the elements so that the free ends of the battle elements of one section bridge the space between the baffle elements of the next adjacent sections to provide a continuous vertical passage centrally of the combustion chamber. F or'spacing the walls of the sections from the 0011, each section is provided with a plurality of vertical ribs 27 each rib being in radial alignment with the respective baffling elements 23. It will be seen that when the elements 21 are in their proper positions, one upon-the other, the ribs 27 of one section are staggered with respect to the ribs of the next adjacent sections.

In the operation of my improved heater, I provide suitable openings 28 in the casing 11 and in the door. 12. These openings are preferabl made so that they are substantially mi way between the tops of the burner jets 19 and the bottom of the lowermost bafile section 21. By means of these air inlets, air is drawn into the enclosure or casing and passed into contact with the baflling elements 23 of the baffle sections 22 thereby becoming'heated for mixture with the gases of combustion and to aid in obtaining a complete combustion thereof. By this arrangement, I find that the heater is of greater efficiency for the quantity of gas consumed. The casing 11 of the heater is preferably air tight and the door 12 is tight fitting so that the amount of air introduced may be governed. It is entirel within the scope of my invention to intro uce the air into the enclosure or casing by forming other openings or by varying t 0 air mixed with the Inthe operation of my improved combus tion chamber, the flame from the gas burner is absorbed like a sponge by reason of the porous ceramic sections 21, so that no flames rise above the ceramic combustion chamber. The pores in the walls of the combustion chamber burn up the oxygen in the air and allv of the hydrocarbons in the gas and become heated to an incandescent condition, whereby the rays of heat from the walls are scattered and act upon the coils of the water pipe to heat the same. It will be appreciated that the combustion chamber extends up intothe pipe coil andis slightly spaced therefrom so that the water within the coil is heated by an indirect heat.

With this type of combustion chamber, it will be appreciated that a materialadvantage is gained as there is complete combustion of the fuel thereby resulting in a marked saving to the owner of the heater and the elimination of the obnoxious odor of unburnt gases.

\Vhat is claimed as new is 1. A combustion chamber for gas water heaters comprisinga plurality of separate identical'ceramic sections mounted one upon the other, each section including a ring memher, a plurality of inwardly extending baflle elements terminating short of the axial center of said ring member, the bafile ele-' ments of one section being staggered with respect to the baiile elements of the next adjacent sections with the free ends of the bafiie elements of one section bridging the space between the bafile elements of the next adjacent sections.

2. A combustion chamber for gas water heaters comprising a plurality of separate identical ceramic sections, each section includinga ring member, and a plurality'of inwardly extending baflle elements terminating short of the axial center of the ring member in even spaced relation t'o'each other.

3. A combustion chamber for gas water heaters comprising a plurality of separate identical ceramic sections, each section including asplit ring member, a plurality of inwardly extending baflle elements terminating short of the axial center of the ring memher in close proximity to eachv other, and vertical ribs provided on the'exterior walls of said sections for spacing the same from the coil pipe of a water heater.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN HICKS. 

